Tuesday's Inspiration - Imitation

Years ago, I read a bit about using imitation to help learn the craft of writing. So I tied it. I chose one of my favorite writers and read as many of Andre Norton's books as I had on my shelves. In reading them I'm not sure I learned much more than enjoying good stories well written. So I tried something else. I took one of her books and an idea I had and tried to model my story on the one she'd written. Now the words I chose were my own but the pacing, the plot development, character development were based on someone else's story.

What did I learn? I learned I had my own voice as a writer. The words I chose were totally different from the ones Andre Norton had used. I also learned my eye as a writer held different images. But I also learned how to build scenes, how to find ways to reveal characters, to develop the plot line. I never did anything with this story for it was a learning expedition or a training session that I hoped would carry over to the stories I would write. I also learned writing is hard work, especially making sense of what I wanted to say. I also learned as a writer I needed to make my own choices of what stories I would spin and how they would be woven.

There are times when I hit a snag in my writing I will pick up a book by a favorite author and find a passage that intrigues me and sit down to decide where my own voice and eye will lead me.